Kieran Read: What Ireland do the ‘best’ in Test rugby which can expose All Blacks side that have been ‘burnt quite easily’
Jamison Gibson-Park during Ireland v All Blacks clash and head coach Andy Farrell.
Former All Blacks captain Kieran Read insists that their upcoming clash against Ireland will be a big step up from their previous two Nations Championship matches.
Dave Rennie’s men have edged past France and comfortably defeated Italy, but Les Bleus were unable to field their best team.
By contrast, despite a few injuries, Ireland will name their best available team for the Eden Park encounter this weekend as they look to once again emerge victorious in New Zealand.
Ireland’s 2022 series victory
Back in 2022, Andy Farrell’s outfit claimed their first-ever series victory in the country after securing a 2-1 triumph in the three-Test tour.
“They are a very good side and, yes, they’ve had to change their game a little bit without [Johnny] Sexton, but they’ve kept the ethos of Irish rugby,” Read said on the GBRANZ podcast.
“They do a pod system and they do it the best of anyone at international level because they have threats across the park, they bring two players out the back, so not just the one, and they run off that guy really well. They’re so structure around that.
“If you have a slight disconnect, which the All Blacks have had over the last couple of weeks, we’ll get burnt there quite easily. Defensively, we’ll have to be really good because the Irish are awesome [in attack].”
While Ireland ended the Six Nations in positive fashion with four successive victories, including a dominant win over England at Twickenham, they have been less convincing at the start of the Nations Championship.
They have managed to overcome the Wallabies and Japan, but the Irish have had issues in the set-piece with both the scrum and lineout malfunctioning.
Where All Blacks can attack Ireland
“I think there’s a chance for us to go at their scrum and potentially their lineout as well,” Read said.
“They’ve got good loosies and locks but inexperienced props, although Tadhg Furlong’s still there. We’ve got to put some pressure on, make [Dan] Sheehan, who is an outstanding hooker, work hard.
“We’ve got to make them fight for all the things that are coming their way, so I would like our front-rowers to go at them and have a crack at them in the forwards.
“They will just be aiming for this one, so for them it’s the end of their season, get a holiday for a couple of months after this – put everything on the line.
“The All Blacks at Eden Park, we’ve seen enough in one-off occasions we can step up. You want your big players to step up, Ardie Savea to have a massive game, I think Codie Taylor will have another big game up front and our outside backs – Will Jordan, DMac (Damian McKenzie) – will step up.”
He added: “This is a higher level than we’ve played. France in the first game, they’re a great side but without their best players and it wasn’t as intense around the occasion.
“This occasion is huge because of Eden Park. It’s on par with what we’ll go to with the intensity of a South Africa game.”
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